Exchange Program

Visiting Program to MGS

For students to be international-minded persons, this high school provides an Exchange Program with Melbourne Grammar School during summer vacation. MGS is one of the most prestigious schools in Australia. Its philosophy is “Fostering Learning and Leadership”. It was established in 1858 on the Anglican basis, which was 37 years earlier than this school, and has produced three Prime Ministers, Antarctic explorers, and the first Australian artist to be admitted to the Royal Academy.

Link to MGS

Features

  1. This program is carried out by Waseda High School and Melbourne Grammar School.
  2. Students from Waseda have not only ESL lessons but also regular classes at MGS.
  3. Students stay at homes of MGS students who study Japanese.
  4. Students have preparatory lessons before going to Australia.
    (ex. Homestay English, The History of Australia, The Wildlife of Australia, etc.)
  5. This program is for the interested students of Year 10 and 11.
  6. The quota of this program is about 10 students.
  7. The length of this program is 18 days.
  8. MGS students come to Japan every other year and Waseda students host them in return.

Our Objectives

We hope the students of both schools have broadened their horizons and gained a real insight into the culture and history of the other country through the exchange program. We started this exchange program in 2002 and also hope to keep a good relationship with MGS in future.

Hosting Program at Waseda

There are two types of options for the hosting program (about one week): either in January or in September. It depends upon the circumstances at MGS. Some students can stay at Waseda for a few more weeks after the party led by MGS teachers leaves Japan for Melbourne.

Japan Tour

Before coming to Waseda, the party led by MGS teachers travels around Japan for a week, visiting Kyoto (the historical capital), Hiroshima (the city attacked by the A-bomb), and so forth.

Japanese Language Lessons at Waseda

The School provides MGS students with Japanese language lessons by a professional teacher from Waseda University Center for Japanese. The lessons are coordinated by a professor at Waseda University. The lessons are not grammar-oriented but oral-communication oriented, so MGS students have got so many opportunities to do activities and use their Japanese.

Assistant Students

In January the third-grade high school students (Year 12), who have already been admitted to Waseda University, voluntarily join the Japanese lessons as conversation partners. They assist MGS students in having a lot of conversation practices in Japanese. In September the host students will do, if possible.

Highlights

Watching a Sumo Tournament in January

The January Grand Sumo Tournament will be the highlight of the Japan trip because MGS students have learned about Sumo as a topic in their textbook before coming to Japan.

School Festival "KOUFUSAI" in October

At the festival our school is open to the public, attracting about 20,000 people. MGS students can enjoy a festive atmosphere at Waseda.

Internet Access for long-term exchange students

Every afternoon the long-term exchange students have time to do online coursework from MGS with Internet access in the library.